Ball-trap.



E. H. WALTER.

BALL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1,1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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EDWARD H. WALTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BALL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Application filed March 1, 1911. Serial No. 611,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. IVALTER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Traps, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention, while broadly relating to that type of game,wherein the principal element employed is a projectile, usually in theform of a ball, and wherein such projectile is to be thrown upward fromthe ground, either for the purpose of being more readily struck by abat, or that it may be caused to fall upon, or in any of a series ofsuitably numbered squares, or compartments, or at, or near a goalstation, or post, yet more particularly relates to the device by whichthe said projectile is thrown upward, which device is commonly known asa trap, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of thetype named, which shall be both simple in its construction, andefficient in its action, and to such ends the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts, or elementscomprised therein, substantially as is hereinafter described, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention, as it appears when in positionfor use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view of the base of the device, the throwing arm, or leverdetached therefrom, and, Fig. 41 is a detached detail view, to show themeans employed to strengthen the throwing arm, or lever.

Similar letters, and numerals in the several figures of the drawingsdenote similar parts.

As has been hereinbefore stated, one of the objects, and in fact themain object of the present invention has been to provide a simple,durable device, of the class named, and with this end in view, I havepreferably constructed my improved trap entirely of steel wire, and infew parts, whereby, as will be apparent from the following describedconstruction of the device, taken in connection with the drawings, I amenabled to produce a trap, which while meeting to the full therequirements, last above set forth is both neat, and graceful inappearance, and effective in its action.

In carrying my invention into practice, I

provide a base 1 which is to support the throwing arm, or lever, andwhich consists essentially in a single piece of steel wire, herein shownas curved into the form of a circle, and at points 2 and 3 the oppositeends of said wire are sharply bent, and extend thence in contact, eachwith the other, to points 1 and 5, at, or near the center of the circle,at which points said ends are again bent sharply, the one upwardly toform a support, or standard 6, the extreme top of which is formed intoan eye 7, to provide a pivotal point for the throwing arm,

or lever, as will be hereinafter set forth. The opposite end of thewire, which forms the base, is at the point 5, bent downwardly, to forma stud 8, which is, by the player, pressed into the ground to hold thebase securely at any desired place.

I preferably clamp the portions 9, and 10, of the wire which forms thebase, between the points 2, and 3, 4, and 5, at which said wire is bentas hereinbefore stated, together firmly by clamps l1, and 12, see Figs.1, and 3, and by which the entire base is caused to permanently retainits form, and rigidity.

Upon the standard 6, of the base 1, I mount a pivoted swinging arm, orlever 13, the same consisting essentially in a single piece of steelwire one end of which is provided with an eye 14, to receive one end ofthe pivot upon which said arm, or lever is mounted as will be presentlyexplained, and from said eye 14, the wire extends to a point 15, atwhich point it is bent upwardly, and backwardly and extends thenceparallel with the portion upon the end of which, the eye 1 1, is formedand above and past said eye, to a point 16, at which it is curvedlaterally into the form of a circle of small diameter, to a point 17adjacent to the point 16, at which such circle started, and from saidpoint 17, the wire extends backward, in a plane parallel with that partof said wire that lies between the points 15, and 16, and is, at itsextreme end formed into an eye, 18 to receive the opposite end of thepivot, upon which said arm, or lever 13, is mounted. The eyes 1d, and18, of the lever 13, are arranged at opposite sides of the eye 7 in thestandard 6, and in alinement with such eye 7, to receive a pivotal bolt19, which extends through said alining eyes, and is provided with ascrew threaded portion to receive a nut 20, by which said bolt 19 isheld in position.

to said Fig. 2 it will be readily apparent, I

that such ball will be thrown in the direction of the arrow 6, by a blowupon the free I upwardly projecting portion of said base,

end of said lever 13, in the direction indicated by the arrow at, andsince it is by this method of action that my device is to be operated,when in use further description of its operation, is not necessaryherein.

In Fig. 4, I show a portion of the lever 13, the forward end, asprovided immediately back of the circular ball receiving portion, with aclamp 21, which is placed upon, and holds the parallel portions of thewire, which forms the lever rigidly in position as shown in said Fig.41. I have also, in Figs. 1, and 2, indicated by dotted lines likeclamps 22, 23, and 24.

Further description of the present device is not necessary to clearlyset forth the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof, or toindicate its mode of operation.

While I have herein shown the base as being formed in a circle, it is tobe understood that such base may be in any other desired form, as forinstance in the form of a square, a diamond, a star, etc.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to pivot a swinging arm, or leverupon a support, for the purpose of throwing a projectile into the air,and I therefore do not broadly claim such a device.

Having thus described my invention I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a trap for balls a base consisting of a single piece of wire bentat suitable points to provide an enlarged portion to rest upon theground an upwardly projecting portion to provide a support for a leverand a downwardly projecting portion to enter the ground to hold the basein fixed position, in combination with a lever hinged to thesubstantially as described.

2. In a trap for balls a lever consisting of a single piece of wireprovided at each end with an eye to receive a pivot and bentintermediate of said eyes to provide at opposite sides respectively ofits support a circular portion to hold a ball and an arm by which it isoperated, in combination with a supporting base to which said lever ishinged, substantially as described.

3. In a trap for balls a lever consisting of a single piece of wireprovided at each end with an eye to receive a pivot and bentintermediate of said eyes to provide at opposite sides respectively ofits support a circular portion to hold a ball and an arm by which it isoperated, in combination with a base consisting of a single piece ofwire bent at suitable points to provide an enlarged portion to rest uponthe ground an up wardly projecting portion to which the lever is hinge-dand a downwardly projecting portion to enter the ground to hold thedevice in a fixed position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnessesfl EDWARD I-I. WALTER.

I/Vitnesses:

WM. H. H. KNIGHT, JAs. D. lVINoHnLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). c3

